Electric-light system.



N0.. 649,549. Patented May I5, 1900.

H. F. ROACH.

' ELECTRIC LIGHT SYSTEM.

(Application tiled June 23, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

k 0 o o o 7 Q5395 .Eilfifilr jfiwfizfaaaza UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY F. ROAOH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,549, dated May 15,1900.

Application filed June 23, 1899. Serial No. 721,571. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HARRY F. ROACH, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric-Light Systems,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such'aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, formingpart of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in electric-lightsystems; and it consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be describedand afterward pointed out in the claims.

The objects of the present invention are to run an electric-light orother system from the dynamo or other source of power, in which systemis arranged a storage battery or batteries which are charged from thedynamo under certain conditions, the separate battery acting to supplythe system when the dynamo fails to give the required voltage.

In the accompanying drawing the figure illustrates in diagram aconventional system in which are arranged the several part constitutingmy invention.

A indicates a dynamo, which may be of any approved construction, and B amagnet constantly in the dynamo-circuit, which magnet may be in the formof a solenoid to act as a circuit making and breaking device 0 in onedirection, a spring 0 opposing the solenoid. The circuit making andbreaking device is so arranged and adjusted that it closes its cir= cuitwhenever the dynamo reaches or exceeds a predetermined voltage, belowwhich point the circuit is automatically open. The circuit which iscontrolled by the circuit maker and breaker 0 includes two magnets orsolenoids D and E, whose armatures have connected to them switches 61and 6, respectively, which are held away from the magnets by springs dand 6. Both switches at and e are in. the main line, the former beingnormally in such position when the dynamo is not running or has a lowvoltage as to keep the mainline circuit broken, while thelat ter isdesigned, under the same conditions, to keep the mainline circuitclosed.

The wires leading to and from the several parts heretofore referred tomay be briefly described as follows: 1 indicates a supplywire leadingfrom the dynamo to magnet 13, and 2 return-wire from said magnet to theother pole of the dynamo; 3, the main-line supply-wire leading from thedynamo; 4.,mainline return-wire of dynamo; 5, wire leading frommain-line supply-wire to terminal in the path of contact maker andbreaker O; 6,wire leading from terminal in path of contact maker andbreaker to magnet D, and 7 wire leading. from said magnet to return-wire4; 8, wire leading from terminal in path of contact maker and breaker Oto magnet E, and 9wire from said magnet to return-wire 4.. 10 is thelamp-circuit, connected with the main supply and return wires of thedynamo.

In operation the system above described is so constructed and arrangedthat the lampcircuit will be supplied from the dynamo only when saiddynamo-yields a voltage between certain points fixed by the magnets Dand E. Assuming, for purposes of illustration, that magnet D will throwits switch when the vol tage supplied from the dynamo reaches or exceedsone hundred and twenty volts and that magnet E will throw its switchwhen the voltage from the dynamo reaches or exceeds one hundred andthirty volts, the springs connected to the respective switches returningthem to their normal position when the voltage is lower than that abovestated, as the magnet B of the circuit making and break ing device isconstantly in the dynamo-circuit it will be operated when the voltage ofthe dynamo reaches a certain point-say one hundred and fifteen volts.The contact maker and breaker will now complete circuits through themagnets D and E; but the voltage being lower than what is required tooperate the minor magnet the main-line wire to the lamp-circuit willstill be broken on ac count of the switch d. When the voltage reachesone hundred and twenty, magnet D will attract its armature and so throwthe switch d, so as to complete the main-line circuit of the dynamo andso feed the lamp-cir= cuit. Should the dynamo continue building up, itwill upon reaching one hundred and thirty volts cause the magnet E toattract its armature and so throw the switch 6 as to break the main-linesupply to the lamp-circuit, and thus cut out the dynamo.

From the above it will be seen that the control of the lamp-circuit fromthe dynamo is self-regulating and fixed between certain points, beneathor above which the dynamo will be automatically cut out.

I will now describe the manner in which I employ a storage battery inconnection with my improved system, whereby the same can be relied uponto supply the lamp-circuit in the event that the dynamo is cut out, saidstorage battery being charged by the dynamo.

F indicates the storage battery, which may be of any ordinary orapproved construction.

G indicates a magnet which is energized from the dynamo-circuit.

II indicates a magnet which is energized from the battery-circuit.

Magnets G and H operate the circuit makers and breakers I and J,respectively, the former of which. completes a circuit through magnets Kfrom the dynamo-circuit. Magnets K control a switch L, which is normallyheld in engagement with battery-terminals by a spring Z.

Magnet 11 in operating the circuit maker and breaker J com plctes acircuit through magnets M, which. control switch N, said switch beingnormally held in engagement with the battery-terminals by a spring 11.Wires leading to these various magnets and terminals may be brieflydescribed as follows: IV ire 11 leads from main supply-wire to magnet G,and wire 12 connects said magnet with the return-wire. YVire 13 leadsfrom dynamo supply-wire to terminal in the path of circuit-maker I, andwire lat from terminal in the path of said circuit-maker to magnets K,which are connected by wire 15 to main-line return-wire. 16 leads frombattery to magnet H, and 17 from said magnet back to battery. 18 leadsfrom main-line supply to terminal in front of circuit-maker J, 10 fromthe other terminal in the path of said circuitmaker to magnets M, and 20from said magnets to the main-1ine return-wire. 21. leads from batteryto terminals in the path of switches L and N, and 22 leads back toterminals in the path of switches L and N and back to battery. Bothwires 21 and 22 are connected, respectively, to the main-linesupply-wire and to the main-line return-wire. The operation of this partof my system is as follows: Assuming that the dynamo is just startingand that it is desired to charge the storage battery and at the sametime operate the lamp-circuit, when the voltage reaches a predeterminedpoint, as heretofore described, the magnet D will cut in the main line,and as the switches L and N remain normally closed by their respectivesprings the battery will be charged until its circuit through the magnetH throws the switch N to disengage the battery from the main-linecircuit when said battery has been charged to the required amount. Themagnet G in the mainline circuit will have before this operated to throwthe switch L away from its terminals, with the result that thebattery-circuit will now be entirely disconnected from the main line.Should the dynamo-circuit fall below or go above predetermined points,as heretofore described, with the result that magnets I) or E operate toopen the circuit, the magnet G will thereupon be deenergized, with theresult that it will break the circuit to magnets K and permit the springZto force the switch L to close the battery-circuit, so that thelamp-circuit will be supplied from the battery. Should thebattery-circuit fall below a predetermined point, the armature of thesolenoid II will yield to the pull of its spring, with the result thatthe circuit, including the magnets M, will be open, so that the switch Nwill be closed to recharge the battery from the dynamo-circuit.

My system is designed particularly for use in connection with dynanioswhich are run at variable speeds, such as dynamos which are driven fromthe driving mechanism or axle of a locomotive or car, and provision hasto.be made, there ['ore, to accommodate the variation in the Voltageemanating from the dynamo; but it will beobvious that the system is alsoapplicable under other conditions than those above mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Iatcut, is I 1. The combination with a dynamo and itscircuit, of a magnet which is constantly energized by said circuit, acircuit maker and breakercontrolled by said magnet for making andbreaking a circuit auxiliary to the main d yn amo-circuit, and circuitmakers and breakers which are energized from said auxiliary circuit formaking and breaking the mainline circuit, said circuit makers andbreakers being designed to act at different pressures; substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a dynamo and its mainline circuit, of a circuitmaker and breaker which is constantly energized by said dynamocircuit,an auxiliary circuit which is made and broken by said circuit maker andbreaker, and circuit makers and breakers for the main-line circuit whichare energized by said auxiliary circuit, one of said circuit makers andbreakers, namely, keeping the mainline circuit open and closing it whenenergized and the other circuit maker and breaker normally keeping themain circuit closed and opening it when energized; substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination with a dynamo and its main circuit, of a storagebattery and its main circuit which is connected with the maindyname-circuit, a circuit maker and breaker which is energized by anindependent circuit from the dynamo, a circuit makcrand breaker which isenergized by an independent circuit from the storage battery and whichcontrols the making and breaking of the main storagebattery circuit, acircuit maker and breaker which controls the making and breaking of themain dynamo-circuit, and an auxiliary circuit governing said last-namedcircuitbreaker which is controlled by the circuit maker and breaker inthe independent circuit from the dynamo.

4. In a system of the class described, a main or dynamo circuit,automatic circuit makers and breakers controlling said circuit to keepit within predetermined limits, a storage battery in a main circuit withthe dynamo-circuit, a circuit-breaker controlling the batterycircuit, acircuit maker and breaker in an independent circuit from the storagebattery and an auxiliary circuit for operating the circuit-breaker ofthe main circuit of the storage battery which is controlled by thecircuitbreaker of the auxiliary circuit.

5. In asystem of the class described, a main the other by an auxiliarycircuit from the storage battery.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo Witnesses, this 20th day of June, 1899.

HARRY F. ROAOH.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, WM. H. Scorr.

